Chinese Honeylocust Abnormal Fruit (Ya Zao - Synonym)

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Expels phlegm and opens the orifices in acute excess obstruction patterns - Ya Zao is used for thick phlegm blocking the throat and clear orifices, especially when loss of consciousness, lockjaw, seizures, or severe phlegm surging require a harsh opening herb.
• Dissipates swelling and resolves toxic accumulations - powdered or pasted preparations are used externally for unruptured abscesses, boils, and stubborn swollen lesions.
• Opens blocked passages above and below - classical use also includes severe constipation, abdominal fullness, and other thick, fixed obstruction patterns where milder phlegm herbs are not enough.

Secondary Actions

• This entry represents a naming duplicate rather than a distinct herb: Ya Zao is a short or alternate name for Zhu Ya Zao (猪牙皂, herb #218), the seedless abnormal fruit of Gleditsia sinensis.
• Because it is slightly toxic and highly irritating, it is usually used in very small internal doses, as powder or pills, or externally rather than as a standard decoction herb.

Classical References

• SYNONYM NOTE: Ya Zao (牙皂) is a common alias for Zhu Ya Zao (猪牙皂), not a separate medicinal substance. The source spreadsheet imported the alias as its own row, so this entry preserves the duplicate name while pointing to the same medicinal identity.
• Me & Qi's historical notes on Zhu Ya Zao list Ya Zao among the alternate names for the same abnormal honeylocust fruit.
• The medicinal item is the dried sterile abnormal fruit of Gleditsia sinensis and shares the same classical actions, cautions, and modern research base as herb #218.